News

ANG Command Chief Visits Alaska, Hawaii, Antarctica

12/24/2014

AFA Caption

Air
National Guard Command CMSgt. James Hotaling looks out over the facilities at
McMurdo Station, Antarctica. Courtesy photo.

BodyText

Air
National Guard Command CMSgt. James Hotaling recently spent nearly a month
visiting airmen in Alaska, Hawaii, and Antarctica. The trip, which lasted from
Oct. 31 to Nov. 22, took the chief to the 176th Wing in Anchorage, Alaska; the
168th Wing in Fairbanks, Alaska; and the 154th Wing at JB Pearl Harbor-Hickam,
Hawaii. Hotaling also dropped in on Operation Deep Freeze and visited the 109th
Airlift Wing across Antarctica, which he said “was a significant difference
from our normal template." "When we normally visit an Air National
Guard wing, it's a very quick trip—about 30 hours on the ground, really,” said
Hotaling, who said he enjoyed spending the extra time with the airmen. He also
noted the importance of being able to show those in remote locations that they
are just as supported as those who are easier to access. “I got to talk to airmen
who are doing the mission that you expect any ANG airman to do, but they're
doing it in very remote locations,” he said. “They again proved to me that if
you set clear vision and goals throughout the organization, that no matter
where an airman is, they'll be able to perform." (ANG release.)